72 Unique Pregnancy Announcements Worthy of Your News

For couples eager to start a family, there’s no news more exhilarating than “I’m pregnant!” After all, a child deepens your relationship with your partner while taking it to new heights and changes both of your lives forever. Even more wonderful: It’s that rare sort of news that’s as much of a big deal for your closest family members as it is for you.

Clearly, then, you’ve got to share that news in an equally significant way. Looking for inspiration? You’ve come to the right place. We’ve collected a spectacular array of pregnancy announcement ideas—from the “it’s so cute I can hardly stand it!” to the laugh-out-loud funny—plus etiquette advice and shopping tips for maximum impact. Whether you prefer to go low-key or scream from the virtual rooftops, you’ll find a range of just-right pregnancy announcement ideas to choose from.

When to Announce Pregnancy?

Learning you’re pregnant is, in some ways, like learning you’ve won the Lotto—you want to tell the whole world, but you need to be careful about how you share your news. First things first: When is it safe to announce pregnancy? To figure that out, do a little math to pinpoint exactly your 14-week mark, which is when most women tell people, says David Garry, MD, director of maternal fetal medicine at Stony Brook Medicine in Stony Brook, New York. “Waiting till 20 weeks, or 4 to 5 months, is also popular,” he adds. “This gives you a chance to make sure that the ultrasound findings are normal and gender is confirmed.”

Because the risk of miscarriage is high during the first trimester, you may want to wait a bit before telling even your inner circle, though your instinct is to immediately let them know once you know. In this case, says Daniel Post Senning, author of Manners in the Digital World and a spokesperson at The Emily Post Institute, “the textbook time to announce a pregnancy to family and friends is week 12. Still can’t wait that long? He recommends following one simple rule: “If you’re comfortable telling someone if the pregnancy doesn’t continue, then you can talk to them about it.” “The advice is to keep that circle relatively small.” This typically means your partner (of course) and immediate family.

How to Announce Pregnancy

Before you text your bestie or go wide on Instagram, realize that there are rules for how to announce pregnancy, says Post Senning (who is the great great grandson of Emily Post, in case you’re wondering). Here’s what you need to know about the appropriate sequence and nature of pregnancy announcements:

• Don’t wait to tell your partner. Chances are, you found out together, but if not, you need to let your partner know “pretty much right away,” Post Senning says. “Your partner is going to want to know, and you’re going to want to make that as personal a tell as possible,” he says.

• Tell the people you’re closest to first. If the soon-to-be grandma or grandpa sees it on Facebook before you’ve made a phone call, they’ll feel undervalued, Post Senning says. They shouldn’t have to find out with the masses, and they should expect nothing less than a phone call.

• Don’t tell if you’re not ready to tell. When acquaintances notice you haven’t been sipping your wine, they’ll try to get the info out of you. But don’t feel pressured to disclose if you’re not ready, Post Senning says. If you find yourself stuck but don’t want to lie, just say to the asker, “Let’s not jump to that conclusion.”

• Keep in mind your audience. Many of the pregnancy announcement ideas we’ve supplied here are visual creations to be shared via social media or text, or snail-mailed as card. As long as your pregnancy announcement is kept private to close family and friends, you can be as fun and silly (or not) as you like. With work colleagues, keep it hush-hush until you let your boss know. After that, tell a work friend, and the rest will be taken care of via good old-fashioned word of mouth. “It was the social media before social media,” says Post-Senning, “and it’s totally appropriate for your outer circle.”

Thoughtful Ways to Announce Pregnancy to Family

There’s a hierarchy when it comes to how to announce pregnancy: the in-person tell, the phone call, the email and the social media share. “Your family is the most personal a tell,” Post Senning says—this includes your spouse and the soon-to-be grandmas and grandpas. Your best course of action: delivering the good news in person. “It gives loved ones the chance to really share in your joy,” he says. Here are some of our favorite pregnancy announcement ideas for family that let you do just that.

Pregnancy announcements for your partner

These uproarious ideas get their inspiration from clever knick-knacks you can buy online, but if even expedited delivery feels too slow (we don’t blame you), these pregnancy announcement ideas can be easily DIY’d too.

Leave a stack of tees on your partner’s side of the bed, with the Daddy version of these at the top. As he’s still trying to process everything, waltz into the room wearing your own “Mommy est. 2017” tee.

Cover a bottle of sparkling fruit juice with this label and pour a glass for you and your partner, pretending it’s champagne. When he’s convinced it’s bad upon tasting it (“There’s no alcohol in here!”), whip out the bottle and have him examine the label. Cheers!

Wait till your partner is out, then secretly dress your pooch in this shirt—or scurry one up with fabric markers on a tee. When he’s back, join your pup in greeting him at the door, and watch his usual “so happy to see you guys” face turn into “OMG! Wow!”

Pregnancy announcement ideas for parents

Who could possibly be more excited about the news than you and your partner? The grandparents-to-be, of course.

These days, handwritten notes are a thrill as it is, but when those notes are pregnancy announcements? Well, it’s beyond words. Plain stationery will do—or get all fancy with this glittered-up card, which announces their impending promotion. Come from a family of sports fans? Send the folks know you’re adding to the lineup with this baseball pregnancy announcement card. Whatever you decide, hand-deliver it if you can. You won’t want to miss their reaction!

Here’s a fun pregnancy announcement idea if you already have a child. Get a shot of her (or him) holding either the sonogram or a message revealing that she (or he) will soon have a little sib. Tell your parents that you’d like to show them the latest school photo—and watch their surprised response when they quickly realize there’s a new addition.

Cute Ways to Announce Pregnancy

Trust us, they’ll be saying “awww” a lot once they finally meet your little one. These super-cute ways to announce pregnancy will get them practicing.

Looks like just another day at the beach, until you take a closer look at the hat! Steal this cute pregnancy idea and your friends will definitely be doing a double-take as they’re scrolling through their Instagram feed.

Have you and your partner hop-scotched around the country a bit since your little sweet pea arrived on the scene? Map it out for your friends, and let them know that while you’re staying put for now, the adventure continues.

Vacations will never quite be the same again with baby in tow. If you and your honey have a tradition of capturing a similar pose wherever you travel, create a montage like this couple did— and don’t forget to include a new shot that leaves room for baby!

Have your friends over for a bake-off. Then casually let them know you’ve got something else cooking up in the oven!

Fun Ways to Announce Pregnancy

One of the many things kids teach you is that you’ve gotta have a sense of humor. The couples behind these ha-ha-funny pregnancy announcements already have it in spades. (For even more fun ways to announce pregnancy, straight from women who’ve tried them, click here.

If you’re inspired, create and print out your own cheeky sentiments, like the one found on this simply hilarious card. Actually, heck, you’re pregnant—why not just outsource it? Get this card here, or for more options, see “ Pregnancy Announcement Products” below.

Some of the funniest pregnancy announcements offer a fresh perspective on ordinary surroundings—which is precisely what happens when you add baby to the mix. Grab a grocery cart and start filling it with diapers, the foods you crave—and (for those friends who need a bigger hint) the books you’re studying up on.

Twin Pregnancy Announcement Ideas

Even if you don’t use graffiti art, you can still make an outsized statement. In this twin pregnancy announcement photo, Mom and big brother can’t hide their shock, while Dad’s so scared he’s practically frozen.

Surprise Pregnancy Announcement Ideas

Sometimes baby shows up when you least expect it—which makes the reveal that much more fun. These pregnancy announcements offer ideas for sharing that surprise not just with hubby but also your loved ones.

Big sib too busy to sit in on something as silly as a pregnancy announcement photo? No problem! This one takes the idea of a sweet onsie and runs with it.

Shopping Guide: Pregnancy Announcement Products

Of course, unforgettable pregnancy announcements don’t all require you to drop some cash. But if crafting isn’t your thing, or you simply would like to add a little oomph to your news blast, there’s certainly a big market for “I’m pregnant” paraphernalia—from pregnancy cards to pregnancy announcement shirts and pregnancy cakes and more. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite finds so you can share your news every which way you want to.

Pregnancy announcement cards

Whether they’re crafted to be small works of art or just the right amount of kooky, pregnancy announcement cards with a handwritten note can be especially lovely for faraway family members. And you can bet they’ll be pinned to cork boards and displayed on refrigerator doors right up to the big day.

TwoJadeThreads “Baby On Board” Pregnancy Announcement Shirt
No need to kid around in pregnancy announcements if you don’t want to. Loop people in with a straightforward but lovely message written in cursive script.

Custom Bun in the Oven Peg Doll Cake Topper
Get a pair of peg dolls crafted to look just like pregnant you and your partner. Best thing is? They make a cute keepsake, and even playthings when baby gets older.